1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is concerned with optical connectors of the single fiber type used to effect an optical connection between two optical fibers with the end portions of the two fibers aligned to a high degree of accuracy.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A fiber positioning device for use in effecting a connection between two fibers is described in French Pat. No. 2 275 787 filed June 20, 1974 in the name of the Compagnie Generale d'Electricite. In this device the member for positioning a fiber or, properly speaking, for connecting two fibers together consists of three cylindrical rods of the same diameter held in side-by-side relationship so that their respective axes are parallel and so that there is defined between them a central channel intended to accommodate the fiber to be positioned or the two fibers to be connected.
In this device, the three rods may be maintained in position by a shrinkable sleeve which surrounds them and clamps them in contact with one another. It will be appreciated that the ratio between the diameter of the fiber or of the two fibers and the diameter of each of the three rods is defined so as to effect the positioning or connection to within the required alignment constraints. Two optical fibers to be connected, with their respective end portions disposed end to end in the channel between the three rods, are maintained in position relative to one another and aligned by virtue of the contact between the three rods and the end portions of the fibers, the contact areas extending substantially along three generatrices of the rods and defining between them a shape which is substantially an equilateral triangle when seen in the transverse plane.
In this device, at least one end of the rods may be beveled to a cone shape in order to facilitate insertion of the end part of the fiber on that side into the channel.
In this same device, each of the rods may be of slightly reduced diameter in the central portion corresponding to the area of connection between two fibers. In this case, the end portions of the two fibers are butted together in this area and, by virtue of the small free space thus provided between the rods in this area, and two fibers may be actually jointed together, by passing an electrical current through a tungsten wire disposed around the ends of the fibers.
While the clamping of the fibers between the three cylindrical rods in this device provides a high-quality connection, the insertion of the fibers in the channel thus defined remains difficult. Moreover, when making a connection between fibers, effected by merely inserting the fibers in the channel thus defined, it is necessary to provide means for maintaining and locking the fibers in position in the channel, and such means are not necessarily simple to implement.
The invention is therefore directed towards an optical connector for single fibers employing the clamping principle obtained through the use of three rods, but in the form of two half-connectors in each of which the end portion of one fiber is suitably positioned so that the fitting and maintaining together of the two half-connectors effects the necessary fixed connection.